Toronto school board to review relationship with WE Charity

The Toronto Star reported that the TDSB had permitted the charity to "hold assemblies, create in-school clubs, and produce what WE describes as a 'comprehensive curriculum' for years."

The review could potentially nip the relationship in the bud, as the TDSB could end the relationship.

“There will be a review and evaluation of the partnership before our current partnership agreement ends in February, 2021 and before any decision to continue with the partnership is made,” TDSB spokesperson Shari Schwartz-Maltz told the Sun.

Though not all of the terms of the agreement have been provided, the TDSB announced that the partnership has been in place since 2018. The charity is commonplace in schools across the province, with over 3,200 schools being involved with the charity in some shape or form.

“The Toronto District School Board partnered with WE Charity to develop a program that would train youth and equip educators and students about service-learning,” explains the WE website. “WE Charity developed a comprehensive curriculum, a student guide, called Take Action: A Guide to Active Citizenship, offered hands-on leadership workshops in schools, professional development training programs for educators, and celebrated and recognized the service actions of young people at WE Day events.”

Marc and Craig Kielburger, who founded the charity, are set to make an appearance next week in front of the House of Commons finance committee.

The duo will speak about their cancelled federal government contract which was initially intended to distribute millions of dollars for a student grant program.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on June 25, that the $912 million government program would be administered by WE Charity. The program was initiated in order to place many thousands of students into volunteering positions throughout Canada and pay them up to $5,000 for working 500 hours.